Hello everybody! It's been a while, but we've had no power here. It comes and goes depending on who knows what. I thought when the rain came it would be less of a problem, but it has come and no difference..haha. Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks to all the comments from last time. :) I loved to hear from everyone...Amber, it's SO great to hear from you. Pam, it's always wonderful to hear your thoughts and by the way, i finally got your letter today. It's been over a month!
Ok, here it is. My thoughts are all contradicting eachother lately. I absolutely love it here and I am so much more comfortable than I ever imagined. However, I am constantly being challenged and convicted about so many things. I love it but I hate it. It goes so well with all that I was learning last semester about knowing. It is not in the actual concrete knowledge that we necessarily know, but it is in the struggle that knowing comes in. The struggle is so much of what knowing is about. It IS knowing. My classes and the experiences that relate so well in it are creating a distinct crossroads for me. I have knowledge about issues here and my responsibility is much greater because I know. Part of me just wants to forget it all and pretend I was never convicted....but moreso, I desire so much to BE convicted and change. I am actually more afraid of not changing when I get back. We discuss so much of how the Bible views the poor, how Jesus views them, how we view justice and mercy and giving. I gues you could say all of those Christian views are really very "americanized." I am not very global in my perspective of Christianity and how I read the Bible. One of our teachers/program leaders asks shows us verses about Jesus and the poor and the one about lazarus and the rich man and about the one in Isaiah 58...all these things we point to and read, and she asks us if meeting the needs of the poor and giving is actually a part of salvation...I don't know how much I agree yet, but it's something good to mull over I guess. Just looking at the Bible from another viewpoint, I see how much I missed, and I wonder how much I am totally neglecting in my spiritual walk. I wrongly think so much is mine...my relationships, my money, my time...it's NOT. It all belongs to God, and I need to get out of my limited perspective. as a side note, of all the developed countries, america gives the least and they have the most. Is is easier to give of myself when I have not been so westernized by my thinking. The more we have, the harder it is to give...is that true? These things are not my own, and I know I need to change my perspective to really and truly understand that. Just realizing all this I have missed or just pushed aside, I know that I need to continually be on my knees in prayer about where God wants me and how He wants to use me and my time and my money and my relationships to others. So much of what I do is focused on me.

WEll, that's just a tid bit of my thoughts. It's hard to say it all clearly, but it's just some of the stuff going on in my head, and I realize that i need to process it all, and that I need to take it one day at a time. I'm not really overwhelmed, but I am glad to have this challenging me. I know I am so sinful and need to dig deep into my motivations and my ingrained thinking to change so much. I hope what I have said makes sense to some of you...I don't ahve time to change it cause my internet time is almost up..haha. On a happier note real quick, I played volleyball on tuesday with a bunch of ugandans from all sorts of universities and some of my friends from UCU and it was so much fun...it was my 3rd time to play with them, and I wish I had more free time to go every day. I'll have to take a pic sometime to show you the court. It's outside so I pray for cool days for sure. haha. ANyways, we just scrimmaged and man oh man, How i have missed playing...I've been gone from it far too long... :) well, this weekend, i won't be around. I'm going to Ssese islands and just chillin! I am pumped about that. It'll be a group of 8 of us and hopefully i'll have some pics to show after this weekend. ANd i might take a pic of the sun again, but I won't put it up, haha. I hope you all are doing well. I miss everyone. Thanks so so much for all your prayers. THey bless me so much. I hope to hear from you if you read this. I want to know your thoughts compared to my jumbled up ones! Until next time!!!